The Wheel Of The Year

The Wheel of the Year

The Four Seasons are known as Solar Festivals, in that they mark a seasonal change caused by the Sun. The cross quarter days are marked by Fire Festivals and are usually celebrated as significant agricultural festivals. Together the Solar Festivals and the Fire Festivals make up the Wheel Of The Year. The Wheel Of The Year, is often broken into eight festivals, whether they are the eight Asatru Blots, Seasonal Festivals or Celtic Sabbats, and the observance of Solar energies at the solstices and equinoxes and the Fire energies on the cross quarter days, is a common theme throughout the world.

The Festivals of the Wheel Of The Year also represent the active and dormant states of nature, man and agriculture. Each of the festival days was ruled by a governing deity, whether a God or Goddess, with each region having its own associated deity. From planting to reaping to winter to summer... the seasons were of great importance to our ancestors, for their very existence depended upon good harvests, mild winters, enough rainfall.

Solstice And Equinox Dates 2010 To 2020

Soltsices

A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from the North or South Pole. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).

The day of the solstice is either the "longest day of the year" (in summer) or the "shortest day of the year" (in winter) for any place on Earth, because the length of time between sunrise and sunset on that day is the yearly maximum or minimum for that place.

Equinoxes

An equinox occurs twice a year (around 20 March and 22 September), when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator.

The name "equinox" is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, the night and day have approximately equal length.

Ostara - Spring Equinox

Litha - Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice - 21st/22nd June. Midsummer or the Summer Solstice is the most powerful day of the year for the Sun God, this Sabbat glorifies the Sun God and the Sun, and fire plays a very prominent role in this festival.

Imbolc

Imbloc (Candlemass, Imblog, Imbole) - February 2nd. This holiday is also known as Candlemas, or Brigid's Day. One of the 4 Celtic Fire Festivals. Commemorates the changing of the Goddess from the Crone to the Maiden.

Beltane

Beltane 30th April - 1st May. This festival is also known as Beltane, the Celtic May Day. It officially begins at moonrise on May Day Eve, and marks the beginning of the third quarter or second half of the ancient Celtic year.